Indian Vulture (Gyps indicus)

News: Last year, a rescued long-billed vulture was released back into its natural habitat in Nashik to protect the population of the species.

About Indian Vulture (Gyps indicus)

• The Indian vulture or long-billed vulture is a native bird of the Indian subcontinent.
• Family: They are Old World vulture belonging to the family of Accipitridae.
• Scientific name: Their scientific name is Gyps indicus.
• Habitat: It lives in a range of habitats, from grasslands and shrublands to farmlands and urban areas.
• Distribution:
  • In India, they are found in central, south and peninsular India.
  • They have also been recorded in south-east Pakistan, Nepal and Bhutan.
• Characteristics:
  • Size: They are bulky and medium in size.
  • Its body and covert feathers are pale brown with darker flight feathers.
  • Weight: They weighs around 5.5–6.3 kg. 
  • They have white thighs with scattered white fluff and broad wings with short tail feathers.
  • They have a small, bare, dark-brown head with a long featherless neck, dark eyes and a long yellowish beak with a pale green-yellow cere.
  • Their bald heads allow them to maintain body temperature in response to the environment.
    • When it is cold, they tuck their necks in closer to their bodies to keep them warm, and when it is hot, they extend their necks.
  • They have very few feathers on their heads, which helps them to keep their heads clean while feeding on carcasses.
  • Behaviour: They are not migratory but travel hundreds of miles in a day, scavenging for food.
  • They are powerful flyers and soar on thermal convection currents.
  • Speed: They reach speeds of 35 km/h (22 mph) when gliding and can fly for six to seven hours continuously.
  • Nesting: They nest mainly on cliffs and are usually found in small flocks, sometimes with other vulture species.
  • Diet: They are scavenging bird and  feed mostly from carcasses of dead animals.
  • Lifespan: They have a lifespan of 40 to 45 years.
• Ecological role: They are keystone species in its habitats.
  • As an scavenger, they play an important part in cleaning up rotting meat that could spread disease.
• Conservation efforts: Captive-breeding programmes for the Indian vulture were started to help recover its numbers.
  • Notable breeding centers include the Pinjore Vulture Breeding Centre in Haryana, Rajabhatkhawa Vulture Conservation Breeding Centre in West Bengal, etc., where vultures are raised in captivity and subsequently released into natural habitats.
• Threats: They have  97-99% population decline due to poisoning caused by the veterinary drug diclofenac. Other threats are:
  • Habitat degradation and reduced food supply
  • Environmental toxins
  • Anthropogenic activities
• Conservation status: 
  • IUCN Status: They are classified as critically endangered.
  • Wildlife Protection Act, 1972: They are classified under Schedule I.